The “Grand Old Lady”, as the Baker Hotel is affectionately known to residents of Mineral Wells, Texas, and has seen a lot of life since it opened in 1929. Once a destination of choice for celebrities, the hotel remains a striking beacon to travelers along Texas Highway 180, approximately an hour’s drive west of Fort Worth. For a building that has sat empty for more than half of its life, the towering Spanish Colonial Revival hotel is very much part of the fabric of the town.

Of course, anyone familiar with the Baker Hotel also knows that it’s seen its fair share of heartbreak: from its grand opening just weeks after the stock market crash that launched the Great Depression, to its closing in 1963 and then more permanently in 1972, to the tragic tales of ghosts who haunt its halls (and regularly draw in tourists). The decades-long process of reviving this historic landmark has likewise faced its share of setbacks.

Yet today, a dedicated team is closer than ever to reopening the Baker Hotel, giving residents and travelers an opportunity to create new stories within this memorable historic property. Thiel & Team was brought onto the project in 2009. We have worked closely with the ownership team and contractor partners to create a plan for renovation that balances the property’s remarkable history with the expectations of modern travelers. While the project has progressed slowly – navigating pandemics, spikes in construction costs, and high interest rates – design work has moved steadily forward. The conceptual designs and schematic planning created years ago continue to guide work today. The pieces are coming together to open a hotel that embraces its rich history while serving modern travelers and the local community.

The Baker Hotel’s storied history

The water of Mineral Wells, Texas, has long attracted visitors hoping that a drink could heal what ails them. Beginning in the 1930s, the public figures who wanted to sip or bathe in the healing mineral waters would stay at the Baker Hotel.

For more than 30 years, the resort attracted celebrities, famous musicians, cattle barons, and political leaders. Actor Clark Gable, singer Judy Garland, President Ronald Reagan, and the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde all reportedly checked into the Baker during its heyday. Against all odds, the resort thrived through the Great Depression and World War II. It wasn’t until modern medicine caused people to lose interest in the therapeutic properties of mineral waters that the hotel suffered. Since the 1970s, the Mineral Wells landmark has sat empty.

Since the hotel’s closure, the surrounding cities have grown. Interest has returned in alternative healing practices. The Baker Hotel Development Partners, LLC, have recognized that visitors from Dallas, Fort Worth, and points further afield want a resort-style destination as much as the people of Mineral Walls want to see the Baker Hotel revitalized.

Through all that time, the Baker Hotel has waited, relatively untouched by time. The 14-story brick and concrete building was built to last. Handmade tiles, terrazzo finishes, and quirky architectural features remain in exceptional condition. This treasure trove has enabled our design team to reimagine how the building might look today if it had never been abandoned. We imagine that many of its distinctive finishes would have been lovingly maintained and preserved. Yet the way the space is used would likely have evolved. We believe that attention to balancing the past and present will result in a property that blends rich character with modern luxury.

Historic architecture meets modern standards

Like any historic renovation, the Baker Hotel renovation project has demanded a delicate balance of preservation and modernization. The architectural team has prioritized retaining existing features while working to meet life safety requirements, preservation standards set by the National Register of Historic Places, and modern operational functions. Egress requirements have changed significantly in the last hundred years, as have lighting options and the needs of kitchens and laundry facilities. Even the property’s historic driveway requires changes to serve today’s large vehicles.

Beyond functional improvements, the hotel will be updated to compete with modern luxury properties. Plans call for a fully-renovated collection of 165 guest rooms and amenities to include a spa, convention, and business facilities, event ballrooms, restaurant, coffee shop, and retail space.

The final list of features to update was born out of the project team’s commitment to “the art of the possible.” Determining what’s possible is the result of clear prioritization that aligns desired features within the project budget, with flexibility to allow for future phases of construction. It’s an approach that benefits from early coordination among all project stakeholders. For example:

  • Connecting early with a general contractor well-versed in historic projects has helped identify salvageable materials and features, lowering the cost of unique finishes while increasing the connection to the property’s history.
  • Inviting the hotel operator into the design process has ensured the most functional layout for guest rooms and back-of-house services. This collaboration has identified opportunities to optimize space utilization by converting areas with accessibility challenges into unique private event spaces.
  • Bringing in a spa consultant has guided a layout appropriate for operating a modern spa. This coordination will spotlight the mineral waters at the heart of the hotel’s success while ensuring spa visitors have access to modern amenities.

Having everyone at the table from the project’s beginning created a clear plan for construction that has changed little over more than a decade. It’s this tight planning and clear communication that is speeding progress today.

Returning a landmark to life

While every historic renovation project carries unique challenges, not every project takes decades to come to life. It takes a tremendous amount of perseverance to see a project like this through to the end. For the team behind the Baker Hotel renovation, this perseverance is born in part by the desire to return this breathtaking landmark to the town of Mineral Wells.

Many people in town hold a connection to the hotel. The updated design calls for strengthening that connection through ground-floor offerings that welcome passersby into the lobby bar for a drink or into the restaurant for a date night dinner. Meanwhile, visitors from points across Texas and beyond will be steeped in a “Palo Pinto chic” décor that grounds the hotel in its location and history.

For an architect and design team, the most rewarding part of any project is seeing it used and loved. With this project, we are honored to have the opportunity to engage an entire community. We encourage everyone vested in the Baker Hotel renovation’s success to check our blog and more videos on our YouTube channel often for updates and follow along on project progress as we move closer to the opening in 2026.